Rants and Raves on Espresso

According to the Associated Press, the National Guard in Venezuela seized some 330 tons of coffee beans that were being held back by growers in protest of government price controls.

Venezuela is something of an exception among Central and South American coffee growing nations: the locals actually drink the stuff. President Hugo Chavez imposed a price cap in 2003 to protect the poor from inflation, leading up to the crisis today where growers say they are forced to sell their beans below cost.

UPDATE: 14-Jan-2006:
Venezuelans love their daily cafecito — a shot about 1/100th the size of American bathtub-sized tastes. And the street vendors are often the hardest hit by the dwindling supplies of coffee in Venezuela these days: Venezuela’s Coffee Conundrum.